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For Immediate Release: December 19th, 2018 Contact: Mikayla Hellwich Media@LawEnforcementAction.org Last night, with overwhelming support, the Senate voted to pass the bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation known as the First Step Act. The House is expected to pass this week, and President Trump is expected to sign the bill subsequently. Below is a statement from the Law Enforcement Action Partnership's (LEAP) executive director, Police Major Neill Franklin (Ret.):

"In a time when Americans seem to disagree on nearly everything, the bipartisan support for the First Step Act proves we can work together to create meaningful reform of the justice system. It's clear the problems plaguing our sentencing and corrections policies are finally being taken seriously by people of all political persuasions. I look forward to the bill making it to President Trump's desk -- and making history."

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For Immediate Release: December 17th, 2018 Contact: Mikayla Hellwich Mikayla@LawEnforcementAction.org Marijuana Use Among Teens Still Lower Than in 2012Police Group Reacts to New Federal Survey Data Today, data from the federally-funded Monitoring the Future Survey revealed that adolescent marijuana use remains at lower rates than in 2012 when Colorado and Washington first legalized the drug for adult-use. Since then, eight more states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for adult-use. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, in partnership with researchers at the University of Michigan, found that in 2018, the percentages of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who had consumed marijuana in the last 30 days had declined compared to 2012 numbers. The rates of daily, annual, and lifetime use are also lower this year.

Today, the Senate is reintroducing a revised version of bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation known as the First Step Act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell revived the stalled bill after securing revisions and receiving pressure from the White House.

Below is a statement of endorsement from the Law Enforcement Action Partnership's executive director and opinion pieces authored by LEAP experts in Louisiana and North Carolina who support the legislation.

"If anything gives me hope for the future of our justice system, it's our bipartisan consensus on sentencing and corrections issues. We may not agree on every detail of how the justice system needs to be fixed, but law enforcement, advocates, and legislators of both parties are all in agreement that putting more people behind bars for longer sentences isn't going to make us safer - it never has.&q…